Michael Avenatti faces up to 335 years in prison
A grand jury has indicted attorney Michael Avenatti on 36 federal counts, and he's potentially looking at life in prison.
Prosecutors on Thursday said Avenatti, the lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump, had been hit with these charges in connected to alleged wire, tax, bank, and bankruptcy fraud.
Avenatti allegedly stole millions of dollars from five clients, including a paraplegic man, said U.S. Attorney Nicola Hanna. Prosecutors said Avenatti would receive money from clients and use it to "finance his business and his personal expenses," in one case including a private jet.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hanna also said Avenatti submitted "clearly fake" income tax form to receive a loan. And he allegedly filed documents in bankruptcy court that "fraudulently understated" the amount of money his bankrupt law firm was receiving. Ryan Korner, the special agent in charge of the IRS criminal investigation in Los Angeles, added that Avenatti has not filed a personal income tax return since 2010 and took steps to "obstruct and impede" IRS efforts to collect payroll taxes his coffee company owed.
If convicted of the 36 counts, Hanna said Avenatti faces a maximum sentence of 333 years in prison, plus another two-year mandatory consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Avenatti, who last month was arrested for allegedly trying to extort Nike while at the same time facing charges over alleged fraud, said on Thursday that he will plead not guilty and that he looks "forward to the entire truth being known as opposed to a one-sided version meant to sideline me."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 18, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - impeachment Peanuts, record-breaking temperatures, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published